HELEN MCENTEE IS among three Foreign Affairs ministers calling for the EU to review its trade agreement with Israel at a meeting today in Luxembourg.

Over the weekend, McEntee and her colleagues from Spain and Slovenia wrote to the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, asking that today’s meeting include a discussion of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The agreement, which came into force in 2000, provides the legal and institutional framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation between the EU and Israel.

Article 2 of the agreement states that it “shall be based on respect for human rights and democratic principles”, but there have been violations of this on behalf of Israel.

The most recent example of an Article 2 violation was last month, when Israeli MPs approved a bill that would allow the execution of Palestinians convicted on terror charges for deadly attacks in the West Bank.

Speaking at the time, McEntee condemned the bill and remarked that she was “concerned about the de facto discriminatory nature of the Bill as it relates to Palestinians”.

The European Commission proposed suspending the trade agreement last September, and the UN yesterday said that the EU faces a “clear moral test” at the Foreign Ministers meeting today.

“The EU cannot credibly claim to uphold human rights while sustaining preferential trade with a State whose conduct has been found by multiple international bodies as amounting to genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes,” said the UN experts.

In the joint letter over the weekend by McEntee and her colleagues in Spain and Slovenia, it was remarked that the EU “can no longer remain silent or inactive”.

The letter added that the situation in Gaza is “unbearable” and that that situation in the West Bank is also “rapidly deteriorating”.

The letter added that “statements by extremist ministers of the Israeli government are inciting dangerous levels of violence”.

It also expressed concern that Israel is acting in Lebanon “with absolute disregard of international law and international humanitarian law”.

“In light of these grave circumstances, we ask that the next meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council includes a discussion of the EU-Israel Association-Agreement,” stated the joint-letter.

It noted that an earlier review found Israel was in breach of its human rights obligations and that the “situation has only deteriorated since then”.

“Bold and immediate action is required, and all actions must remain on the table,” said the letter.

“The European Union can no longer remain on the sidelines.”

Speaking today ahead of the EU meeting of Foreign Ministers, McEntee remarked that the EU needs to review the trade agreement with Israel “at a minimum”.

“The EU’s credibility is at stake, and I will be emphasising the urgent need for the EU to take action now,” said McEntee.

Meanwhile, a petition to suspend the trade agreement has hit over one million signatures.

Once a European citizens’ initiative, like the current petition, obtains at least one million valid signatures in at least seven EU countries, it can be submitted to the European Commission for examination.

The current petition, organised by Justice for Palestine, has over 1.4 million signatures.

It proposes suspending the Association Agreement on the basis Israel has violated human rights in Palestine.